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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — to push
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. craft — boats
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bark — to shout
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com